Republicans Must Take the No Kings Movement Seriously
Republicans’ initial reactions to the No Kings movement have been to ridicule and make fun of it. This is a serious mistake.
Republicans’ initial reactions to the No Kings movement have been to ridicule and make fun of it. This is a serious mistake.
There were more than 2,500 rallies Saturday. They varied from small gatherings to large crowds.
When that many Americans feel strongly enough to protest against their government, they should be taken seriously. While some of these protestors were the same crowd that has been protesting President Trump since he became a candidate – they were not all leftwingers and Never Trumpers.
Republicans should take seriously the motivations of the many Americans who showed up because they are concerned about constitutional limits on executive power, the rule of law, and the integrity of our system of checks and balances.
President Abraham Lincoln’s injunction at Gettysburg that we must have government of, by, and for the people applies to those who chose to rally under the No Kings banner.
Furthermore, Lincoln’s principle that “with public sentiment nothing can fail, without public sentiment nothing can succeed” applies to America today.
Any movement that can organize same-day events in 2,500 locations is real. People can cry that it was financed by George Soros or other leftwing billionaires. But at a key level, that is irrelevant. If people did not want to be organized, they wouldn’t be. If people were not energized by the opportunity to show up, they would stay home.
The fact that millions of Americans spent part of Saturday in an ideologically driven political event is sobering. The left is presently organizing a stronger version of the populist Tea Party movement of 2009 to 2012. The Tea Party activists rebelled against government overreach they opposed and a stale Republican establishment they felt was ineffective and inarticulate. The No Kings movement opposes a government it feels has overstepped its authority – and reflects the collapse of the traditional Democratic Party machine.
To some extent, the No Kings campaign is good for Democrats because it draws attention away from their movement’s many unpopular, out-of-touch values (which have clearly been driving people away from the Democratic Party). Chanting “No Kings” and singing “God Bless America” is a far more effective way to attract American voters than chanting “let boys into girls’ bathrooms,” and “help criminal illegal immigrants evade the law.”
In the long run, No Kings as a slogan is ephemeral. It doesn’t explain how the future will be better – or how Democrats could help Americans solve their problems. Also, the concept of President Trump as a king will eventually fade away. He is a strong President – but clearly not a king. He is constantly in court, because the courts matter. He is constantly trying to get things through the Congress, because the legislative branch matters. President Trump is in the tradition of Presidents George Washington, Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan. Like them, he pushes hard for his agenda – and occasionally tests the constitutional limits of presidential power – but he’s not going to become king. On Jan. 20, 2029, he will be former President Trump.
However, in the short-term, the No Kings campaign is colorful, unconventional, and energizing. It distracts American voters from serious Democratic policies and strategies which are deeply unpopular. If Republicans ignore it, Democrats could gain valuable political momentum ahead of the 2026 midterm congressional elections.
If Republicans take it seriously, the No Kings movement could turn into an opportunity. Republicans must connect with concerned Americans – and meaningfully respond to their concerns. If done right, Republicans can consolidate – and further weaken and isolate the Democrats from – the American people.
Further, revealing the No Kings movement as the same old anti-Trump protestors under a new astroturf banner could be nominally useful. But drilling down on the more extreme elements – and forcing Democrats to approve or repudiate them – would be more helpful. Democrats should be made to answer whether the border should be controlled or open, if immigration laws should be enforced or ignored, if illegal immigrants should get tax-paid benefits or not – or if the President has the authority to manage the executive branch or be bound by unions and special interests.
The No Kings movement – if properly analyzed and addressed – could turn out weakening the Democratic Party and helping the Republican Party appeal to people it could not have imagined attracting 10 years ago.
With the right approach and effort, No Kings can evolve into No Democrats.
Once again, you have a clear and accurate assessment of what is going on! Thank you.
President Trump, Please respond. Call for an emergency joint session of Congress.Special interests are trying to overturn our democracy. Millions of citizens are being victimized. Only you, Congress can steady this ship. Only you can declare "The Rule Of Law", not some secret hidden special interest group. President Trump has hundreds of times said, "We must give this government back to the people." WE DEMAND NO OTHER RULER". Yes, Congress, this is an intimate danger. It demands our immediate attention.